Composite materials, in particular ceramics, are used as constructive materials for functionalized components of machines, devices or components and the like that may be exposed to high thermal and mechanical strains because of their mechanical properties and their thermal or chemical stability. In particular, porous ceramics are used increasingly in membranes, filters, catalysts or sensors because of their advantageous properties. In such applications, there is a need for functionalized composite materials, which exhibit certain electrical, di-electrical, magnetic or optic properties or even semi-conducting, ferromagnetic or super-conducing properties.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,255,241 describes a method of producing fullerene dispersed ceramics, wherein a so-called micelle formation-method is used that forms C60 micelles to enable uniform distribution of the carbon-based particles within the resulting material. This conventional method further requires drying of the sol or gel as well as a subsequent heat-treatment to obtain the ceramic material.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,066,272 describes optical glasses and polymers that incorporate homogeneously dispersed fullerene molecules via the sol/gel-process, resulting in materials having an application as optical filters.
Disadvantages of common ceramics are the brittleness of the material as one of the problems in connection with their forming process into stable two or three-dimensional structures. In addition, different thermal extension coefficients of the (different) raw materials might lead to stress within the formed materials if components of the ceramic materials are e.g. applied together with metallic components.
If sintering processes are applied to form ceramic materials, the size and distribution of pores generally cannot be controlled, and may lead to an embrittlement of the substrate for the case of metallic substrates under typical thermal conditions, and thus adversely affect the properties of the material.
Furthermore, these materials are formed by thermal treatment under high pressure and/or high temperature conditions by sintering green bodies. Such processes can be costly, and may also require a lot of post-processing effort to form the finished material.